Thursday, October 08, 2009

What's Bugging Me

Along with a few other minor things that bug me lately, my summer bugs are here today.

It bugs me that I haven’t read “Pigeons” yet. Dear, sweet Susan gave this book to me because she knows pigeons bug the heck out of me.

In July, I placed the Pigeon book on the table in the sunroom.

I looked up and out into the yard as I placed it on the table.

I was being watched by

this Pigeon… Is that a sign? It was a weird coincidence that made me laugh out loud. Honestly, I thought, Go ahead and gorge on safflower seeds, fat ass, and invite all your cousins.

I’m continually bugged by devastation

and bulldozing around every corner.

Hummingbird Moths bugged me this summer. In total, I spent more than an hour and less than a day taking the best of the worst photographs of hummingbird moths… EVER. On the hottest day, under the hottest sun, I was persistent.

I’ve never had such trouble with hummingbird moths.

They were plentiful but they would not be still. I’m still bugged by it.

This summer, I was shocked to learn something new about myself. I’m still bugged by it.

Feeling physically over-confident and almost cocky, I planned to begin doing sit-ups and crunches like the police cadets do to bust the belly fat, while I watched HGTV in the evenings.

Flat on back. Knees bent upwards. Arms crossed over chest and hands on shoulders. I even dressed for the occasion. Deep breaths. On the count of three, nothing happened.

Eyes wide in disbelief, I laid on my back, staring at the ceiling. There was no pain, no movement. Something was missing. Like, my strength.It was apparent that my core muscles left the building. I didn't even know they left... I wanted to raise the window and cry out, "Oh Lawd, the eggs dried up, now THIS!"

How long have they been gone? Two years? A decade? Hell, I don’t know.

I wanted a cigarette before the shock wore off. What a fool I am. No, I did not smoke a cigarette but I wanted to light one up again and lose fifteen pounds without trying.

So, I continue to wear out my walking shoes here along the road with iPod and hand weights – all to reshape my abdominal muscleless self. I can crunch now. My shape-up is progressing but I’m bugged about the work it takes. Twenty years ago I’d only need to dream of losing fifteen pounds and Poof! It’d Be Gone.

It bugs me that there are real people of all ages who jog up and down this hill in the neighborhood. I’ll take a brisk walk here in a month or two and hope for the best. Right now I prefer flat land.

I park next to this tree at work every day

and every day in August I’d stop and wonder what the bees were doing. They were busy at doing nothing much, or so it seemed. It bugs me that I never found out who they were or what they did on that same tree every day.

25 comments:

Oh, Mary. I just adore you.I think you WILL come to a new appreciation of pigeons after reading that. I used to be bugged by them too. Then I read that book and now I see, in every urban "rat with wings" a message carrier, a racer, a roller, a dove with an olive branch.Of course, I don't live in a city or have to clean their poop off of my car every morning. :)Hummingbird moths are just to die for. Ever notice how they have "tails" just like hummingbirds? A sweet little fan?

Wow! You have prolific posts Mary. You never cease to amaze me. Don't read too much into pigeons. With respect to bugs, never kill a spider in the morning: it brings back luck on the 3rd day (unless you throw salt over your shoulder and scratch a brick with a stick.)

Wonderful, wonderful photos of your bugs. My abs left somewhere between the third and fourth child:) Actually, I've read that crunches don't really help; you need to build up core muscles instead. Well, at least that's my excuse for not doing them:) But I'm impressed by your determination and perseverance in walking; I think that's really the best exercise ever.

Brilliant, brilliant post!!! Your ears should be burning. I've been birding in Arizona with Kathie Brown and we fight over who gets to president of your fan club. We both think your blog posts are magical with all their brilliant layers, upon layers. A pigeon at my feeder would be the last straw. I don't think I could read the book but I am curious. It's easy for Susan to like them because for her they are bird food and cut down on rats.

Cool bugs Mary!Hang in there with your fitness program--I just recently started walking again. Why is it so much harder after 50?? (and I'm not even doing ab crunches!)Have you seen the recent Chantix commercial featuring Lisa from Fayetteville, NC? She reminds me of you with Lynne's hair! I'm so glad you're still not smoking!

LOL regarding Susan sending you the pigeon book. What a smart ass! ;-). I love the pigeons in my downtown area as they keep the Peregrine Falcons here!

I am so with you on the bulldozing around every corner, it gets my pulse racing in outrage every time.

Your bug photos inlucding the hummingbird moths are awesome! Oh, and don't beat yourself up over crunches. Have you tried to do planks at all? Google that to see what I mean. It will build your uppper body and abs (but the abs in a more gentle way). Once you strengthen them by doing that, add some crunches in. You are doing awesome with your not smoking and still walking so remember your accomplishments too!

Bwahahahaha!! May, you are a tonic for me today. It's my first day off in forever and I sat down to read blogs between laundry, bathrooms, kitchen and baking, just WISHING your blog would pop up on my google reader and there you were!!

Do you know rock doves (a.k.a. common pigeons) have been with us so long that we no longer can determine precisely where they came from? Oh, we think they came from North Africa or Southern Europe, or both, but their history with humans goes back so far in our history that we're not really sure how this relationship formed or where it started. They're more than pedestrian; they're an integral part of our history that goes back so far that we don't even understand it. I've not read the book, but I hope it points out these birds are the common ancestor for all pigeons--and we've been dragging them around the world for longer than we can remember.

You gave up smoking and embarked on a new way of life. Don't be too bugged by your limitations. They're temporary. The new you is still blossoming, still blooming. All in due time, Mary. Soon you'll be climbing that hill with ease and looking for greater challenges.

Mary, you are too much! You have a way of making "What bugs us" seem a funny part of our normal lives. I'm not sure I could do a crunch myself. Hell, I do good to walk up a flight of stairs without extreme pain to my arthritic knee...WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN? The squirrel pictures are endearing, I'm like you I just can't stay mad at these adorable little bandits. In fact I just posted a blog about them. Great pictures, and even better commentary.

I agree with the other Beth. I laughed out loud when I read about the dried up eggs! You have a way with a story, Mare. And your pictures, even of the reviled pigeons, are marvelous. Thanks for a wonderful read.

Mary: It's been some time that I stopped by and I can see that you have not lost your sense of humor and skill at ((wonderful macro photography!))Well my dear lady you have the Hummingbird moth to chase after..here we would never see them!!Love all the bug photos..I too did NOT have time to post the numerous bug shots I took this summer.I (((LOVE))) the squirrel feeder...where in heck did you get it..I've been searching for the perfect squirrel feeder so I can keep them away from the bird feeders!!Mary keep walking..I want to but am limited as I am walking a journey with cancer and chemo.I tire easily and to do a situp with an enlarged spleen..well next to impossible! So Mary walk..try a few situps..and before you know it..you will have that curvey bod we all want after menopause.Be well stay happy..blessing aNNa xo

my favorite post yet. you had me laughing so hard at your workout attempt. i feel your pain, sister. i think to myself often, "if i could lose weight every time thought about working out, i'd be in amazing shape."

those bugs were awesome, by the way. love the hummingbird moth.

your posts make me want to come set up a blind in your backyard for a few weeks.

Entomologically speaking, I like being bugged and enjoyed your buggy photos.

The critters on the tree look like European Hornets to me. If so, they should have been fairly large -- like around an inch long. The tree looks scarred. If any of the scars were deep enough to ooze sap, they could have been eating that. Sap is their high sugar/energy food of choice. They could have also been collecting wood pulp for the paper nests they build inside hollow trees and other cavaties.

As for the clearwing moths, I've wasted millions of pixels trying to get a decent shot of them. Like you, I still have not succeeded, but I fully intend to keep trying next summer.